


Don't pretend you didn't hear me

by WhisperInTheSorrow



Series: Ironqrow works [9]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Character Death, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:13:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22387000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhisperInTheSorrow/pseuds/WhisperInTheSorrow
Summary: -I love you-what did you just say?- Im not saying it again, don't pretend you didn't hear it the firts time.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood
Series: Ironqrow works [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1560985
Kudos: 30





	Don't pretend you didn't hear me

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~  
> Thank you for opening this fic. 
> 
> I want to apologize beforehand for all the mistakes that I could made writing this fanfic, my native language is not English, but I think I'm improving a little.
> 
> Thanks again, enjoy the fic and if you want, let me know what you thought about it.
> 
> Bye~

It was their defeat, that was a fact, and Qrow, who was turning an Ursa to dust with Harbinger on his scythe shape, knew it. After all, Beacon was invaded by Gimm and, even if the Atlestian's Knights were inactive thanks to that plane crash, they had a lot of enemies there. Salem had won this battle.   
He had lost sight of Glynda, who was fighting along Team CRDN (or he hoped so), when a large pack of Beowolfs decided to appear with a King Taijitu at their tails making one of the buildings collapse. Qrow, with his misfortune, had ended up alone in a part of the street surrounded by Ursas.  
Beacon was lost.   
He had to find Glynda and the kids and get out of there.   
The kids, his nieces, Qrow just hopped that they were okay, knowing them and their behaviour towards dangerous situations that involved the safety of those who they loved, they would be fighting to protect their Kingdom and those who they loved. They were just like Summer and Tai, they were just like him. And that scared him to death.   
-Please- he pried silently while he was running trying to find a way out of that part of the city to get to them- be okay until I find you.   
He couldn't live if something happened to his nieces while he was there, he wouldn't forgive himself if Yang or Ruby were severely injured or worst death. He wont forgive himself, just as he hadn't forgotten himself for the disappearance and death of Summer. Just thinking about how he could go to Taiyang with one or both of his nieces missing made him want to puke and cry until he had no more tears. It broke his already broken heart. Those kids were his safest place, his world full of light and colour. He couldn’t afford to lose them.  
He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't noticed a Griffon approaching him until it was almost too late.   
Qrow heard the growl of the beast ready to eat him, he was going to attack or at least defend himself, but his misfortune stroke again and his foot tripped over the head of a deactivated Atlestian Knight making him fall to the ground loosing the grip over Harbinger that went flying far away from him.

He was going to die.

Or at least he had thought so.

A loud "bang" resonated over the streets and sooner than later, Qrow was covered with that black dust that were the remnants of the Grimm.   
His heart skipped a beat on his chest, knowing who was the one that shoot the gun that had killed the Griffon and he couldn't help but smile a little when the figure of James Ironwood itself emerged from the smoke.   
-Qrow! -the General had screamed hurrying to his side, kneeling in front of him- are you okay? Are you hurt?  
-Just in time Jimmy -he said knowing that the other didn't mind the nickname when they were alone or with people that wasn't Atlestians or extrangers (it was Winter or other people under James orders that had a problem with that, but never the General, never since their relationship improved from "I'll surely rip your eyes out" to "your presence is torelable" to a final " I would bring my army across the world for you". - Im fine, I tripped when I heard the Griffon, just my luck, as always. -He looked at the General while talking, his deep blue eyes were scanning Qrow searching for injuries or damage. He looked worried, worried for Qrow and his well-being. And Qrow could felt his cheeks burning for that. - I'm fine, James  
He wasn't used to James caring for him, he wasn't used for someone besides his family (Ruby, Yang and Taiyang) to care about him. He wasn't used to that look that the General was giving to him. And even if it wasn't the first time that James had looked at him like that, also wasn't the first time that Qrow felt his heart telling him that his feelings for the General weren't unrequited.  
-Im glad I made it in time -he said raising and helping Qrow to be back on his feet but as clumsy as Qrow was because of his misfortune, they almost ended up again on the floor. James caught Qrow between his arms, and Qrow felt his face pressed against the General's chest, the part that was still covered by what was left of his shirt, the flesh part. -are you sure that you're fine?  
-Yes, it's just my semblance again - Qrow said and James nodded, not that neither of them would have said that it was bad luck.  
They were there, surrounded by Grimm dust, fallen buildings and destroyed robots, they were in the middle of the apocalypse, one of them having surprisingly survived to a plane crash, and jet being there, with each other was what they needed.   
Both thinking that if only they could freeze that moment….  
The scream of the Wyvern brought them back to reality as the beast crossed the sky going to Beacon's tower. The floor started to tremble, more Grimms approached the city. Qrow went to recover his weapon  
-We have to run-said James loading his white revolver- This place it's not safe anymore. We need to reach an evacuation point.  
The run as fast as they could, shooting the grimm that appeared on their way. But it wasn't enough, there was a lot of Grimm, the Wyvern were attracting them.  
In the end they ended up in a building, without amo, without being able to communicate with someone, making a barricade that both know it won't last more than a few blows from an Ursa.  
-You could turn into a crow and fly away -said James with his back pressed against the door- the windows are broken, you just have to jump and transform.  
-I won't left you here, Jimmy, as if you don't know me- in fact he could have done that, jump through the window and fly away to the extraction point, he could fly away and find his nieces, but that would mean that he left James behind to die, alone. -I bet you never thought you'll end up your days like this -said Qrow, also his back on the door, holding it to help to avoid the Grimm's entrance to the room.  
-Fighting grimm?  
-No idiot -Qrow almost laughed, almost, it would have been such an awful and sad sound- with a drunk in a room, while you're trying to resist the Grimm.  
There was no way that they were walking out from that situation.  
-Yes-answered James after a few seconds- I always dreamed about dying with a friend, hand by hand, us, soldiers, like huntsmen, are prepared for the worst, for dying at the battlefield, with your friends and comrade's by your side - and Qrow knew that a lot of friends comrades had died at the battlefield and James almost died too once or twice, his scars were proof of that- But I was hopping that it was never by your side.   
-Yeah I'm not the perfect company, not even at Death's door -said Qrow said, it had hurt more than it should, but always James words hurt more than it should, maybe because he was in love with that heartless tin man.   
Not even in his final moments his feelings would be accepted.  
-No, Qrow, don't misunderstand me -said James looking at him, his cheeks were red, but Qrow supposed that it was for the effort of holding the door- I wouldn't want you by my side, not because you weren't worth it, but because I want you to live.   
-James?  
-You deserve to keep living Qrow. You deserve to live and find happiness. You always have.  
And maybe it were those words that gave him strength, maybe it was the situation that announced that they had no spare time, or maybe it were those feelings that he had kept inside his chest almost since he had known the man beside him that explored, but in the end, Qrow couldn't help himself.

-I love you -he said and the silence filled the room, Qrow felt his cheeks burning, his heart beating faster than ever and the fear and the embarrassment crawling on his back. He couldn't even face James at that moment.

-What did you just said? -asked James and then Qrow rose his head to look at him.

-Im not saying that again, don't pretend you didn't hear it the first time.-he replied, looking at James in disbelief. After a few seconds, James smiled to him.

-I love you too, Qrow -he said before kissing him on the lips.

It was sweet and warm, just as their feelings for each other, but it was also sad, because of the situation. Because even if it was their first kiss it would be the last. They had wasted so much time being angry at each other, arguing for silly things that didn't mattered anymore, telling themselves that they weren't worthy of love.   
That no one would ever love a drunkard huntsmen that brought misfortune and pain.  
That no one would ever love a heartless and cold general whose right half was made of iron.  
They had wasted so much time.  
A silver light filled the room, and for a moment, the grimm seemed to stop. Qrow, breaking the kiss looked at were the light had come. A silver light that was familiar.  
-Ruby - he whispered.  
-You need to go to find your niece.-said James. And Qrow knew that, but he couldn't leave James behind.  
-I…  
-Im sorry, my lucky bird.  
And then, Qrow was falling from the building, James had thrown him across the window, while the door broke. Qrow transformed into a bird with tears in his eyes and flew away from the city trying to ignore what his bird part was saying to him.

"Our mate is in danger"  
"Our mate is suffering"  
"Our mate needs us"

He had to save his niece. 

In the end he had found Ruby at the top of the tower unconscious, with Weiss Schnee trying to wake her up without results. The Wyvern was frozen at the top, still alive, but unable to move. Yang was at the campaign hospital that the remaining teachers and military man had managed to create, she had lost her arm trying to protect that Faunus girl that had run away once she knew that Yang was safe.   
Qrow wanted to hit her, wanted to scream at that girl that she shouldn't leave, that she should stay with Yang now that she could, because one day was going to be too late, and she would regret it, just as he was regretting not saying something sooner to James.  
No one had heard from the General, Winter and team FNKY (James's favorite team) had gone to find him, but as Qrow heard Barty said while he was taking care of Yang, they had only fund a lot of Grimm's dust and a metallic hand. General's hand.  
-Mister Branwen -said Weiss behind him, she looked horrible, with red eyes and pitch black eye bags, she had been crying when no one was around, crying for her team, now broken, for the General she looked upon that was missing, for Phyrra Nikos that was gone.- sir, you need to rest, I can stay with Yang while you go to eat something.

-I' grateful for your offer, little Ice Queen, but I'm fine. 

-With all my respects sir, but you haven't eat anything since yesterday, Ruby and Yang will be worried if when the wake up, you were on a bed just like them for being stubborn.

-Using my nieces against me, just like your sister.

-She told me to use that card if you were unwilling to leave the room. 

Oh, he knew, Winter had used that card sometimes when he was at Atlas, she had known from James that Ruby and Yang were his weak point. Did she knew about James feelings? He didn't doubt it, Winter was like a daughter for the General, James had almost adopted her when Jacques Schnee had disinherited her for pursuing a military career instead of a business one.

Qrow gave up and left the room going ou the improvised hospital, he needed a drink, something stronger than coffee, something that could make him forget about everything for a few moments. Beacon was lost, Ozpin had died, Yang was missing an arm, Ruby was unconscious, Miss Nikos had died too trying to defeat Cinder, James was presumably death just after they confessed their feelings. It was just so much to assimilate. Just too much.

His flask was empty. So, in an act of rage, sadness and despair, he threw it while screaming. Putting all those feelings in his voice. It was just too much.

-Wow, I never heard you screaming like that -said a voice at his back, and for a moment, Qrow hold his breath.- also, I never thought I would see you throwing your flask.

"Please, let it be real" 

-Won't you turn around?-asked that deep voice, and Qrow heard steps getting closer.- Qrow?  
-I'm afraid of if I turn around you'll disappear -he confessed.  
-I won't, I promise you, I won't.  
Then Qrow turned around, and he saw James behind him, with his clothes still thored, with a coat covering his metallic side. He was alive. He was fine.  
-Jimmy.  
-Hey, Qrow.  
Qrow ran towards Ironwood, and jumped into his arms, hugging him with all he had. James left arm returned the hug, pressing the younger Branwen against him, as if he was afraid that he would just disappear if he let go.   
-You, fucking idiot, you scared me to death, I couldn't go back to find you, Yang was missing an arm and Ruby still is unconscious, but then Ice Queen went and…  
-I know, an alpha ripped my hand before I killed it, I had to left the place and I didn't had time for a note. I'm sorry I worried you, Qrow.  
-You should be, also you should be sorry for throwing me out of the building. I wanted to be with you until the end and you pushed me away when you needed me to hold the door.  
-I didn't want you to die there -James confessed- I didn't want your nieces surviving this battle to see that you didn't make it, I didn't want Taiyang for suffering again for the lost of someone dear. I didn't want the man that had my heart for years dying next to me. So as ironic as it sounds, I will always throw you off a window if that assures me that you won't die. Qrow I would die and without regret I will offer up my life. There's no sacrifice that I won't make, just to keep you safe, including my own life. I love you, I really, really love you.  
-You, tin man with a hero complex, I don't want you to sacrifice anything for me, and less your life -"I'm not worth it" he thought- I want you to promise me that, next time, when we're approaching a situation like this, you will let me help and stay by your side.   
-Qrow.  
-I don't want to loose you again Jimmy, I thought that I did and...hell.   
-okay, I promise, Qrow.   
-once everything is settled I will go to Atlas. I promise.

/+/+/+

Qrow didn't know what to expect once their ship arrived to the Academy with Tyrian Callow arrested and a very pissed Robyn Hill, Clover was still in shock, and he...he didn't know what to do.  
They entered the Academy and found James Ironwood fairly quickly. Qrow had to suppress a shriek when he saw the General, he looked horrible, his jacket was thorned, and his left arm was bandaged. Qrow wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't completely human anymore. But the worst part were his eyes, full of regrets, full of fear, of despair. James was so lost, but also so determined to keep going.   
He was going to sacrifice everything for Atlas, for Remnant.  
Qrow wouldn't let him. He wouldn't let him alone anymore.  
-Qrow?-asked James once the Branwen hugged him from behind, carefully to not hurt him more.   
-I'm here, now, I'm here. -they needed to talk. And they would- don't push me away.


End file.
